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Aurora at Chinook

Condo Condo converts apartments into brand new homes

In a city with ever expanding boundaries, the notion of living centrally continually evolves. These days, anything north of Heritage Drive qualifies as convenient, and with midtown developments selling out in record time, more and more people are looking south along Macleod Trail for attractive alternatives.

Aurora at Chinook offers buyers a newly renovated building in an established neighbourhood near an array of popular amenities. Located in the community of Kingsland on the west side of Macleod Trail, between Glenmore Trail and Heritage Drive, the development is within a few minutes drive of downtown (even better, hop the LRT at Chinook Station and leave the car at home.) Chinook Centre is a stone’s throw away, offering great shopping, dining and entertainment virtually at your doorstep. Outdoor possibilities abound at nearby Glenmore Reservoir, and getting out of town is quick and easy via major routes in every direction.

“The location is great,” says Tamara Peaker, Marketing Manager at Condo Condo, the developer behind the project. “It’s easy to get anywhere from here, and the neighbourhood is quiet.”

The building itself was existing – an apartment complex that was constructed in 2001. Condo Condo purchased the property in June, gutted every suite, and began a thorough renovation in September.

The show suite reveals just how much work has gone into bringing each unit up to today’s high aesthetic standards. The colour palette is neutral and the look is modern and clean: the walls are a calming shade of cream; the entryway is covered in 12 x 12 beige ceramic tile; the carpet is putty coloured short-shag – the look is hip, and easy to make your own with a few personal touches.

The kitchen is really the show-stopper here – obviously the room where the most renovation dollars were spent. The shaker style cabinets are a warm shade of roasted maple (buyers will have the choice between this colour and deeper shade of muskoka maple at the point of sale) and there’s plenty of space for every dish, spoon and frying pan in your culinary collection. The backsplash is eye-catching, one inch square glass tile in root beer brown – a very midtown touch in this southerly location. Stainless steel appliances and granite countertops round out the impressive décor package.

“There’s lots of little extras that make a big difference,” Peaker says of the interiors. “We put in garberaters, high end taps and faucets, vessel sinks, ceiling-high tile around the tubs, built out the fireplace mantels – the kinds of touches that add distinction to everyday living.”

Other value added features for every suite also include a stainless steel Bosch dishwasher, stacking washer/dryer and a private veranda with gas barbecue hookup.

Floor plan options are many: 11 in total with a number of one and two bedroom layouts. One bedroom suites range in size from 700 to 876 square feet, while two bedroom units run 906 to 994. A limited number of one and two bedroom loft units are also available, ranging from 1,091 to 1,300 square feet. As you’d expect, the loft suites have a very open, airy feel and appear much larger than they actually are. A long staircase running up to the loft level lends a remarkably dramatic touch, while skylights bring in an abundance of natural light.

“The loft units are all on the top (third) floor, which is an attractive feature,” explains Peaker. “There are also great suites on the corners of the third level. The way the building is structured, these suites don’t have upstairs neighbours.”Aurora at Chinook condos start at $239,900. Three show suites are open daily on site at 790 Kingsmere Crescent SW (71st Ave & 4A Street). CL